Week 39, #2

The first time I met Jesse Springer, he struck me as too tall to be an editorial cartoonist. Editorial cartoonists I have met are usually small, and when they’re not, they look small — slouching or stooping become the defensive posture of a person working too hard for too little. But Jesse walks tall, always has. He’s affable, confident, easy to like. He’s also the second best editorial cartoonist in the state of Oregon. And today he’s in Washington, D.C., lunching with the best editorial cartoonist in the nation, Tom Toles.

Jesse won a contest among cartoonists, sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists. These lab-coated eggheads decided amongst themselves that they weren’t their best spokespeople when it comes to getting regular people to notice how government is obstructing or impeding good scientific research. So they launched a contest for cartoonists to make the point in their own way, and then be voted on, “American Idol” style, by regular people. Jesse won, and it wasn’t close.

One of these four ideas will be developed into a column on Wednesday to be published in The Register-Guard on Friday. I’m asking you to help me choose between them. Between now and the end of Tuesday, leave comments here or send me an e-mail if you’d rather be more private. Or, at the very least, RATE the idea (and the others) so I know which one people like best. No promises, though. This ain’t American Idol. But I will post an entry on Wednesday to say which one I’m choosing (and probably why.) I plan to do this each week — often by Friday, but always by Monday, so visit often and tell me which idea intrigues you the most. Thanks!